Wednesday Week 21 Year A

By accusing your ancestors of their mistreatment of the prophets, you bear witness against yourselves. The last two ‘woes’ of Jesus’ denunciation of the Scribes and Pharisees are the content of today’s Gospel passage. While the hypocrisy of the sixth woe points to the religious leaders concern for externals while neglecting what is significant, it is the last woe that is the most serious indictment of them by Jesus. In a move that Jesus saw as the most hypocritical of all, the scribes and the Pharisees distanced themselves from the actions of their ancestors in their attempt to right the wrongs perpetrated against the prophets of God by their ancestors. Even as they built and adorned the tombs of the prophets as an honor to them, the Pharisees and scribes denounced the ill treatment that the prophets received at the hands of their ancestors claiming that they would have not participated in the actions of their ancestors had they lived in their days. Despite their claim, Jesus reminds them that they are true children of their ancestors. For just as their ancestors had failed in recognizing the holiness of the prophets of God, so too have they failed in their responsibility as the leaders of the people. Like their ancestors who killed the prophets, they too are "killing" those they are supposed to shepherd. Jesus calls them hypocrites because although they claim to know better (compared to their ancestors), their actions show a people who do not know (or rather who know but do not care). They're hypocrites because although they claim to have learnt from the wrongs of their ancestors, their treatment of Jesus is totally the opposite.